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The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced the 15-member national squad for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier, to be held in Oman.

The team, led by Rohit Kumar Paudel, was announced on Friday, CAN spokesperson Chhumbi Lama said. The squad includes Dipendra Singh Airee (Vice-captain), Kushal Bhurtel, Lokesh Bam, Kushal Malla, Aasif Sheikh, Mohammad Aadil Alam, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sandeep Jora, Aarif Sheikh, Lalit Rajbanshi, Gulshan Jha, and Sompal Kami.

The qualifier will take place from Oct 8 to 17 at the Al Amerat Cricket Academy Ground in Oman. Nepal is placed in Group 2 and will face Kuwait and Japan in the group stage.

Altogether, nine teams from Asia and East Asia–Pacific have qualified for the tournament, divided into three groups of three teams each.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has announced that leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was suspended for the final two matches of the historic T20I Series against West Indies, held in Sharjah, UAE, from Sept 27 to 30. Nepal went on to win the series 2–1.

According to CAN, Lamichhane informed team management just 45 minutes before the start of the opening match on Sept 27 that he would not participate. His sudden decision, the association said, had a “serious impact” on team management, players, and Nepali cricket as a whole.

On the recommendation of the team management, CAN suspended Lamichhane from the remaining two matches of the series. However, it remains unclear whether the suspension applies only to the West Indies series or extends to Nepal’s upcoming fixtures as well.

The association said Nepal’s immediate focus is the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia/EAP Final Qualifier, to be held in Oman from Oct 8 to 17. The national squad of 16 players and full officials has already departed from the UAE to Oman.

CAN expressed gratitude to fans for their continued support and urged them to encourage the team as it prepares for the crucial qualifying tournament.

Nepal registered a thumping 90-run victory over West Indies in the second T20I on Monday night at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, sealing the three-match series 2-0 with one game still to play.

Nepal won the toss and elected to bat first, putting up a strong total of 173/6 in their 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Aasif Sheikh starred with an unbeaten 68 off 47 balls, while Sundeep Jora smashed 63 from 39 deliveries to steady the innings after early setbacks. Mohammad Aadil Alam added a brisk 11 off five balls to push the score past 170. For the West Indies, Akeal Hosein impressed with figures of 2/21 and Kyle Mayers also took two wickets.

In reply, the West Indies struggled to build momentum and were bowled out for just 83 in 17.1 overs, falling well short of the 174-run target. Jason Holder’s quick 21 off 15 balls was the only notable contribution. Nepal’s bowlers delivered a clinical performance, with Mohammad Aadil Alam claiming 4/24, Kushal Bhurtel 3/16, and Lalit Rajbanshi and Dipendra Singh Airee taking one wicket each.

Tickets for the much-awaited Asia Cup final between India and Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday have been completely sold out. Organisers told Geo News that the 28,000-seater stadium will be fully packed with fans filling every spot for the high-voltage clash.

In their previous encounters in the tournament, the two arch-rivals have attracted huge numbers, with 20,000 spectators filling up the stadium for the group match on September 14 and 17,000 for the Super Four clash on Sept 21.

Forty-one years have passed since the inaugural Asia Cup in 1984, and for the first time, India and Pakistan have reached the final together. In both encounters at the Asia Cup 2025, India has decisively defeated Pakistan. Pakistan has lost 12 of its 15 T20I matches against India.

Skipper Salman Agha and his troops almost crashed out after Bangladesh had them in a corner during their Super Fours fixture. However, Pakistan managed to win by 11 runs and advance to the final.

Before the final, India had an injury scare with Abhishek Sharma and Hardik Pandya suffering from cramps during the final Super Fours contest against Sri Lanka. They spent the majority of the season on the sidelines but have been declared fit before the rivalry clash.

ANI